Balinese ritual is known for its beauty, richness and, sometimes, violence. Bali: Ancient Rites in the Digital Age is a personal portfolio of work by the photographer Ida Bagus Putra
Adnyana, shot between 2004 and 2015. As a Balinese from a Brahmana priestly family, I.B. Putra Adnyana brings an insider’s knowledge of his subject, and he is often granted special access to
rare ritual ceremonies. Thus he is able to photograph with the greatest possible intimacy.
The images here offer a close view of rituals that few people have seen, often in remote villages of the island. The Hindu Balinese rituals cover rites of passage and the rituals of death as
well as those devoted to the gods, to the lower spirits, and the initiation of priests. It is remarkable that these rituals are as vital as ever today, in the midst of modern Indonesia.
